Ho, Ho, No!

December 4, 2008
by:
Craig Johnson

Out of England comes a story of a staffing firm acting to protect its temporary workers from angry park guests.

The park was Lapland New Forest, a temporary Christmas attraction that promised Christmas animals, a "tunnel of light," a Nativity scene and more. Instead, visitors found "a mud-covered carpark," according to the Times Online. Lapland's ice rink was broken, "the 'tunnel' was a few Christmas trees sprayed with artificial snow, and the 'nativity scene' was a badly painted billboard," the news outlet reported.

Cost for tickets to the park was GBP25 per person for families of four or more (US$37).

The BBC said more than 2,000 people who visited the park, which opened Nov. 28 and was closed by Thursday, had complained.

Apparently, the attraction generated much bad will. The Sun newspaper reported that one parent hit Santa Claus and, in other incidents, three elves and three security guards were attacked.

The Sun reported that the employment agency, Richards Events, told the 25 workers they sent to quit. "We can't expect our staff to take constant abuse and do not want to put their safety at risk," Richards Events Managing Director Sue Holzher told The Sun.

Hats off to Sue Holzher and Richards Events for protecting the elves. We always knew they were temporary workers - we just didn't know they worked through an agency.

Staffing Industry Analysts is the global advisor on contingent work. Known for its independent and objective insights, the company's proprietary research, award-winning content, data, support tools, publications, and executive conferences provide a competitive edge to decision-makers who supply and buy temporary staffing.